


Exhibit 626

by talitha_koum2c479



Series: #WheresSpidey? [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Peter is missing, Rating just for safety, Wakes up a prisoner, Who is the Curator?, Who is the Director?, more tags added as story continues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25529113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talitha_koum2c479/pseuds/talitha_koum2c479
Summary: Exhibit 626: Peter wakes up and comes face-to-face with his captors for the first time. This will be a multi-chapter fic spanning the entirety of the time of Peter's disappearance from Peter's perspective in the #WheresSpidey series.It is recommended that you read @WheresSpidey: A Prologue and the first chapter of NYC's Gram-Gram before you read this story, as those chapters will both contain some insight into what has happened with Peter.Rated with Graphic Violence to be extra safe.
Series: #WheresSpidey? [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827892
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Exhibit 626

**Author's Note:**

> Hey ya'll, this is our first glance at what happened to Peter in the time of his disappearance. I recommend reading @WheresSpidey: A Prologue and the first chapter of NYC's Gram-Gram before you read this story, as those chapters will both contain some insight into what has happened with Peter.

**Day 1 (Morning of Wednesday, May 15)**

Peter slowly came to, painfully aware of his sore muscles. He heard soft voices, muffled behind a wall, before he felt the restraints on his arms and legs. He slowly opened his eyes and lifted up his head, glancing down. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and gray sweatpants he didn’t recognize, and he was barefoot. He was strapped down with some strong metal cuffs. He could probably bust his way out, if he hadn't been feeling so weak from the drug he had been under. 

Peter looked around the room he was in. There were machines, some hooked up to him and beeping. There was a row of cabinets and a sink on the far left wall, while the right wall was made entirely out of class. The fluorescent lights were bright, and Peter wished someone would turn them down a little. A one-way mirror, Peter suspected, so that visitors could take a peek into the room. The whole room looked and smelled sterile, giving off a distinct hospital vibe that Peter hated. 

He didn't have long to look around the room before he heard footsteps coming nearer. The voices started getting louder, but not clearer, until Peter could tell they were coming from right outside the heavy metal door right in front of him. He closed his eyes and slowed his breath as the doorknob turned. 

"...never led me wrong before, but I must say, I'm surprised at how young and... innocent it looks," said the first voice, a woman. 

"It fooled a lot of people, Director. Don't be fooled now, it's actually awake, judging by the heart rate monitor," came the second voice, a man. 

"Is it now?" the woman murmured, coming closer. She reached out and touched his arm. "Has the Keeper been installed?" 

"Not yet, but it will be among the first things we do in Orientation today, before the drug wears off. The Exhibit has been prepared and is ready for it. We can start Orientation whenever you are ready and move it to the Exhibit as soon as Orientation has been completed." 

"Very well," the woman said. "Open your eyes." Peter could tell that this was an order directed at him. Since he was clearly fooling no one by pretending to be asleep, he obeyed and settled on glaring at both of his captors. 

On his left, Peter saw a short pudgy man with a round face. His wire glasses were slightly crooked. He had a lab coat on and a clipboard in his hands. He was currently tapping his pen against the tall stack of papers, and the constant thump, thump, thump was grating to Peter's ears. 

The woman, the Director, had red, curly hair and freckles. Her eyes were sharp and bright, and she looked like she couldn't decide whether to be giddy with excitement or a calm and collected professional. She wore a light blue, expensive-looking suit and smelled of pomegranates. In her hands she held a phone and a leather binder. Peter couldn't help but wonder if he'd seen her on tv somewhere or had glimpsed her picture in a file owned by Tony or S.H.E.I.L.D., as she looked vaguely familiar. 

The Director chuckled at his heated glare. "Now, now, none of that. We're civil here. We don't want to hurt you." 

"What do you want from me?" Peter asked. His voice sounded harsh and rough. 

"We are currently running ahead of schedule, a rare occurrence, to be sure," said the Director, ignoring his question and addressing the pudgy man. "Do you think Orientation can be done by tomorrow?" 

The man nodded. "Spiderman gives us a great head start, as we already know many of his abilities and mutations, so the tests shouldn't take too long. We have no reason to doubt the effectiveness of the Keeper, so we should be able to finish Orientation by tomorrow around 3, if we work through the night. Training can begin immediately after." 

"What are you talking about? Orientations? Training? Keepers? Who are you, and why have you taken me?" Peter asked again, his voice a little stronger. 

"626, learn your place," the Director said, almost absently. "You will speak when spoken to." She turned her attention fully to the man. "No need to rush things, Curator, we don't have a tour scheduled until Monday at 10. That should be plenty of time for us to choreograph and rehearse a new Act. And to think, we finally have a truly exclusive Exhibit. We’ll have to rebrand, of course, but that’s a small price to pay. Spiderman is finally ours." 

"Have you put more thought into its Act?"

The Director hummed. "I'm still speaking with the Ringmaster. We will finalize our plans Friday after we've begun the Training." "Of course, Director," the man, the Curator, said. Peter couldn't help but wonder what kind of names these were. "If there's nothing else, we will get started with Orientation. I will send word when the tests have been completed and follow up with a detailed report on our findings by the end of day, tomorrow." 

The Director nodded and, without another word, turned on her heel and left the room. The metal door closed with a loud clang behind her. As Peter watched the woman leave, he noticed a third person who must have walked in and stopped by the door, away from the man and the woman who had been speaking. She was clearly younger than the other two, smaller and timid. She stood hunched in on herself, as if she were trying not to attract attention. She wore a pair of jeans and a gray jacket, and her hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail. She kept her eyes straight ahead, on the wall behind Peter, and refused to look at him. 

"791, come here," the Curator commanded. "We will begin the tests." 

"Yes, sir," the girl said, her voice soft. She quickly came across the room and opened one of the cabinets, pulling out several instruments to hand to the man. 

"626," the Curator said, turning to Peter. "We will begin your Orientation with a series of tests. These tests will be used to help us monitor your health and well being. Our goal is to keep you as healthy as possible." 

"So you're scientists. You're conducting experiments. You want to try to replicate my powers, create an army? How original," Peter rolled his eyes. 

The Curator prepared a needle and took several vials of Peter's blood. Peter winced at the pinch of the needle. He had never been a fan of needles. "I am a scientist, but we currently have no need or desire to replicate your powers. In fact, it would be quite counterproductive to our mission if we were to do so." 

"Then what do you want from me?" Peter asked, frustrated. "Revenge? Ransom?" 

The Curator laughed, shining a light in Peter's ears. "We will have to cure you of this curiosity and these questions. All will become known in good time. You have enhanced senses, correct? Enhanced hearing, sight, smell, touch?"

"Screw you," Peter said. "I'm not telling you anything." 

The Curator's face became hard. "626, because you are new, I will give you a second chance to answer my question. Think carefully before you respond." 

Peter spit in the Curator's face. "How's that for an answer?" 

The Curator took a tissue and carefully wiped the spit off his face. "Earlier, you asked what a Keeper is," the man said. "I believe it's past time to answer your question. 791, bring me a Keeper." 

The girl--Peter refused to call her 791--grabbed a small box and brought it to the Curator. He opened the box and pulled out a small bracelet and held it for Peter to see. "This, 626, is your new Keeper." He pulled a small, rectangular device out of his lab coat and pointed it at the bracelet, pushing a button. The bracelet opened with a soft beep, and a small purple light flashed. The Curator walked to Peter's feet and pushed the sweatpants that Peter was wearing above his shin. He placed the bracelet around Peter's ankle and pushed a button on the remote again. The bracelet closed around Peter's ankle with a sharp click, and Peter could feel the cold metal snug and tight against his skin. 

The Curator returned to Peter's face and held the remote in front of Peter's face. "That was quite simple, wasn't it, 626? Your Keeper has now been installed. We use Keepers to keep you in line and to remind you of what's at stake if you don’t follow orders. Shall I give you a little demonstration?" 

The Curator pushed a button on the device. Peter felt electricity jolt through him, starting in his ankle. He struggled to breathe against the shock and was relieved when eventually the Curator removed his finger from the button and the shock ended. Peter took a moment, eyes closed and muscles still spasming, before glaring at the Curator. 

"That’s it? A little electrocution?" Peter gasped out. "Sure, it hurts, but that doesn't mean it'll stop me from trying to escape or ensure that I follow your stupid rules." 

The Curator laughed. "Oh, perhaps you can handle a little electric shock, with your mutant abilities, but that one can't handle it quite as well." He pointed to the girl who was still by the cabinets. Now she was on the floor, eyes closed and clearly still in pain. She was trying to catch her breath, and Peter could tell that his Spiderman abilities helped him recover just slightly faster after the electric shock. A small metal bracelet was locked into place around her ankle, and a little yellow light was flashing. "All the Exhibits have a Keeper. And this remote," the Curator waved the rectangular device in his hands. "This button is connected to them all." 

Peter let that sink in. He was sure he could break these cuffs, figure out a way to escape, and handle any kind of electric shock he was receiving until he could remove the bracelet, but he couldn't do any of that if it meant another prisoner, someone innocent, would be hurt. 

"What happened to ‘let's be civil, we don't want to hurt you?’" Peter asked, confused and frustrated. 

"It's the truth, we don't want to hurt any of our Exhibits. That's bad form. And expensive. But we will, if we must. Besides," the Curator shrugged, "this process actually causes the least amount of pain and damage for each individual Exhibit and is highly effective in preserving our Exhibits. You mutants tend to be less likely to go against the rules when you know other mutants will face the consequences."

"How many... Exhibits are there?" Peter asked, disgusted as the word came out of his mouth, trying to imagine how many other people had just received an electric shock. 

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, enough of that. You know the consequences of misbehavior, so I expect you to be more compliant as we continue our tests. I'll ask you one last time. Your senses are enhanced, correct?" Peter paused for a moment, glancing at the girl. She looked scared and angry, but when she saw Peter looking at her, she turned to face the cabinet, hiding her face and giving him no indication of her thoughts. The Curator waved the remote, an obvious threat, before Peter replied, "Yes." 

The Curator smiled. "Now, was that so hard?" He placed the remote back in his pocket and picked up his clipboard, marking something off with his pen. "Let's see," he continued, a low murmur. "We know the webs don't come from your body, we saw the tech you used... Tell me, 626, how strong are you?" 

"I don't know," Peter said. It was honest, since Peter had never tested himself, but he savored the small act of defiance in refusing to answer the question. 

"Well, that clearly won't do," said the Curator. "I've seen the videos; you've stopped moving buses and trucks. We'll have to add those tests to our schedule." He marked something on his clipboard. 

The next several hours were spent being examined by the Curator and the girl, who ran several physical tests as they asked invasive questions about his powers and abilities. How was he able to stick to walls? How flexible was he? How much did he need to eat? The questions seemed to go on and on, with the man making marks on his clipboard with every answer. Eventually, though, the questions came to a stop, and the Curator marked down his final note. He clicked his pen with a flourish and nodded to himself. 

"Congratulations, 626, we are well on our way to completing your Orientation. We will take a short break and return to continue Orientation. Get some rest. Come, 791." 

The Curator briskly left the room, dimming the lights as he went. The girl hesitated only for a moment before she followed him out. Peter was left, still cuffed to the table and tired in the dim lights. Although he wanted to take advantage of the fact that he was finally alone to think of a plan of escape, he was exhausted. Perhaps a combination of the drugs, the tests, and the questions were taking their toll. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! Who are Peter's captors, and what purpose do they have in kidnapping him? What do you think/want to happen next? Leave your comments and kudos below!


End file.
